Events are a great way to grow your restaurant as long you have a plan and the proper people in place to pull it off. Taking care of all of the details prior to your guests showing up will give you the best chance for success.

Menu

A limited menu will help your kitchen get dishes out quickly and can result in a more consistent product. It can even help you save on inventory. Fit your menu to the theme of the event. Traditional holiday dishes, seasonal ingredients and tailgate favorites for game days will give your menu additional flair when added to some of your best sellers. Depending on the nature of your event you’ll want to consider offering a variety of foods that travel well. Dishes and flatware need to be considered as well since outdoor events and big crowds can cause costly loss.

Promotion

It’s impossible to have a successful event if nobody knows about it. The marketing aspect is extremely important and will strongly impact attendance. Promotion should begin at least a month prior to your event and should be done through several channels. Social media is one of the best ways to spread the word and should be used heavily. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter should be posted to daily with photos of past events, your slate of entertainment as well as the menu and pricing. Encourage your followers to share your event by offering incentives. Place posters and flyers in strategic spots and have your servers mention the event to each table. This is an opportunity to offer discounted tickets for early purchase if your event is going to require an entry fee. Networking with local press and other business owners will also help to draw attention and encourage community participation.

Entertainment

This is potentially the biggest draw for your event and a good portion of your budget should be placed on entertainment. While it’s not necessary to go out and hire a band with worldwide recognition, you should do some research and find local entertainers that have proven to bring their own crowd. You will want to make sure their genre aligns with your current customers and those you’re trying to attract. While music is a popular choice you will also want to include other forms of entertainment that creates engagement with your guests. This can include eating contests, raffles, costume contests and anything else that encourages your patrons to get involved. Creating memories is what will develop loyal customers. If you run a family oriented restaurant be sure to include things that will involve the kids such as face painting or bounce houses.

Staffing

During an event it’s important that the quality of service you provide does not suffer regardless of the number of attendees. This may involve hiring additional and temporary staff. With so many people getting together it may also be necessary to hire security to ensure your event remains safe for all of your visitors. You will want to make sure your staff is prepared to handle the event and additional training may also be advantageous. Making sure they know what to expect and how to handle every situation will reduce stress and ensure you employees contribute to the success of your event rather than hindering it. Have a clear escalation process for any questions or complaints that your floor workers may not be qualified to handle.

There are numerous points during the year that are cause for celebration. Holiday events are extremely popular but there are several other times restaurants can use as a backdrop for their events. Sporting events, elections and historical anniversaries are also great excuses to throw a party. Hosting a successful event can be costly but the benefits can last well into the future.